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davidfm

Re:I asked GPT-3 for the question to “42” on Tuesday November 24, 2020 @07:06PM (#25204512)
As in asterisk dot asterisk?
Re:Ask HN: Thoughts on Only allowing login by OAuth on Wednesday March 22, 2017 @06:06AM (#13929678)
I never use the OAuth option personally. I wouldn't read a help page. I always offer both OAuth and email/password in implementations. I don't find managing my own logins difficult. Having said that, the percentage of users who opt for OAuth is much higher.
How about combining SO titles with Github code comments?
Re:Microsoft Concept Graph on Wednesday November 02, 2016 @11:16AM (#12855618)
Some interesting highlights from a quick scan of the data: item hot 44

complex carbohydrate entirely grain product whole wheat bread 4620

free rich company datum size 33222

issue stress pain depression sickness 11110

testing device glucometer diabetes blood sugar test strips insulin pump 7138

big deal real estate investment opportunity 4135

small portion couple small cookie 2438

microsoft hardware failure bad hard drive 2281

affordable and multifunctional furniture piece sofa 1750

environmental factor diet 1588

so called designer sandwich cranberry 1460

practical add on towel rack 1459

practical accessory towel rack 1498

shop el corte ingles department store chain 1499

combustible material clothe 1405

Re:Indie Hackers: Learn how developers are making money on Friday August 12, 2016 @07:46AM (#12274790)
But there are lots of ways to automate personalisation :-)
Re:Ask HN: Examples of profitable little free web tools? on Thursday December 04, 2014 @10:22AM (#8699618)
Could you offer api's to your tools or offer them as widgets for other websites to use and charge for that?
I'm a perfectionist, irritated by mediocrity.
Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @05:20PM (#7526823)
Thanks for the thoughts. Via another comment on here, I've made contact with a couple of developers on CoFoundersLab. Who knows, maybe one of them might be the right one. Cheers.
Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @01:46PM (#7524605)
OK, get your point on the multiple. Sorry, commenting on my business has me in defensive mode!

I recruited and retained several top level devs in my 10 years prior to going it alone. I'm not too worried about that bit. But thanks for making me think about what worked well in the process back then.

Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @09:52AM (#7522756)
Thanks for that. Interesting. Would I give up 50%? Yes - for the right return. I know I can do much, much better than triple customers if I can leave the technical debt to someone trustworthy. I accept that the last seven years is sunk cost. But I have seven years of amazing customer relations - a network that will flourish into $$$ when I have the opportunity to scale. I also have a product. Maybe not the perfectly polished product that developers better than me can make it, but <bias>It's Already Good</bias> and it will only get better. At this stage, giving (say) 50% to a VC and using that to buy staff (and ideally get accelerated growth via the VC's network) or giving that percentage to a partner who will concentrate to the same degree doesn't phase me. In my mind, they are each 50% of different values. The VC's investment immediately values the business greater than it currently is. The right partner does the same. I'm open to both routes. My problem is getting from here to either of those positions without killing the business whilst focussing on it.

Edit: just looked at your blog - my system mails checks and takes just a little of that back every month :-)

Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @07:14AM (#7522056)
I looked at cofounderslab a while back. Can't remember what stopped me completing it then. It seems to have evolved a lot. Thanks for replying, much appreciated.

Edit: CoFoundersLab looks really hopeful David. It's just gone down for updates but I liked what I saw - thanks again!

Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @07:12AM (#7522049)
david.miller.hn [at] gmail.com
Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @04:44AM (#7521633)
It is definitely the latter. The business has next to no expenses (just me and my family!). I'll take a look at whoishiring again. Maybe I can persuade someone to work in that manner for a few months till I get the sales flowing. Thanks v. much

Edit: just went through April's whoishiring. Is it common to ask for equity in lieu of salary? Do developers really consider that?

Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @04:28AM (#7521567)
No legal obligation. I should clarify, the industry that has been buying into it knows me very well, I've not been stealth there. I've just started focussing on another industry - they will know me well within 12 months. But whilst I can't scale quickly enough to get early mover advantage I don't want to draw to much attention to what I'm doing. Catch 22 I guess!
Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @04:23AM (#7521551)
I've been in the industry since 95, so, yes, I see myself here for the long run. Wouldn't rule out an exit from this business if the opportunity arose though. I believe growth potential is bigger than most of the super-inflated valuations around right now. Current customers are larger end of SME but it's not limited up or down - just been easiest to sell to!
Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @04:15AM (#7521536)
Wow, thanks. It's predominantly ERP. Customers are top 20 from 1 industry currently (the referral impact) but it's not limited to that trade. It's taken 7 years because I've had to earn a living while developing it and it's a fairly large system. Money is for developer/s so that I can do sales and marketing. What do you mean 'heavy to even evaluate'?
Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @04:08AM (#7521520)
I know I can get lots of customers very quickly, I'm turning business away. My issue is letting them down because I don't have the resources to support them. (my previous roles were biz-dev, I do that well)
Re:Ask HN: Where do I go from here? on Thursday April 03, 2014 @04:05AM (#7521512)
I've been trying to stay 'under the radar' but maybe you're right, could be time to come out of stealth mode, thanks.

Ask HN: Where do I go from here?

Over the past 7 years I've been building a SAAS. It's good. I have 20 customers all from referral. They think it's good. It has the potential to be huge. Currently, it earns me a low income - bootstrapping it's development.I'd like to raise VC to grow it. But the last time I did that, it swallowed a year and brought down a 25-man company. I tried hiring a developer but didn't have the cashflow...

( Read More... | 26 comments | 9 points | on HN )
Re:Ask HN: Does this exist or would it appeal? on Monday April 01, 2013 @07:39AM (#5472447)
I think I might try a light version as a weekend project sometime soon, cheers.
Re:Ask HN: Does this exist or would it appeal? on Monday April 01, 2013 @07:36AM (#5472435)
That's exactly what I find myself doing, but: I don't like paper As things change I find myself rewriting the same stuff over and over It feels like it should be easier/more effective if automated
Re:Ask HN: Does this exist or would it appeal? on Monday April 01, 2013 @07:29AM (#5472423)
I had forgotten about lighttable, thanks. I'll need to revisit it.
Re:Ask HN: Does this exist or would it appeal? on Monday April 01, 2013 @07:18AM (#5472389)
I deleted a line from my original post before submitting it which said it was a problem I wanted a solution for so that might make it worth persuing!

I like your suggestion that it should be highly modular, not sure what makes that mean its not useful though?

Re:Created my own RSS Reader Nuesbyte on Monday April 01, 2013 @07:09AM (#5472367)
You need to add top:0; left:0 on your fixed topbar for android browser - good job btw

Ask HN: Does this exist or would it appeal?

For ages now I've been looking for this tool, with no success. So I reckon it might be something others would want. Maybe I'll build it. Maybe someone else would like to?I want to be able to see the bigger picture of the systems I develop. How files connect to each other, the variables they pass, the database tables they update, the functions and classes they use etc. A bit like a database...

( Read More... | 16 comments | 15 points | on HN )